


Because You are Here

by Knightqueen



Series: Power Ranger Short Stories [2]
Category: Power Rangers, Power Rangers Lost Galaxy
Genre: Ars Amatoria Ranger Romance Themes, Challenge Response, F/M, Gen, Male-Female Friendship, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-02-23
Updated: 2012-12-21
Packaged: 2017-10-31 15:23:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 11,453
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/345646
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Knightqueen/pseuds/Knightqueen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>PRLG - "You always did know how to make me smile." - Leo, Kendrix and the road not taken. A Ars Amatoria Ranger Romance Themes drabble series.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Checking In

**Author's Note:**

> **Disclaimer:**   _Power Rangers/Lost Galaxy_  and all things related are property of Saban and Toei (and some other guys I'm probably forgetting but can't care to remember). I own nothing except the ideas tumbling through my head.
> 
>  **Author's Note:**  This is my first go at the legendary Ars Amatoria/Vespera's " **[Ranger Romance Themes](http://arsamatoria.tabletsofdestiny.com/themes.html)** " with my OTP Ranger couple, Leo Corbett and Kendrix Morgan of  _"Lost Galaxy"_. The primary inspiration for this drabble series, aside from the obvious, was largely from Sayuri Sugawara's  _"Kimi ga iru kara"_  (which, depending on where you go, is actually translated  _"Because_ _ **you're**_ _Here"_ ), a song that is largely about a friendship, depending on how you view it (many could argue it's romantic despite its use of "my dear friend(s)"). Long story short, it seemed like the perfect theme for Leo/Kendrix, a unrealized "romantic" relationship whose basis is a strong friendship, unlike most of the romances in PRU. Prompts are split up into "books", thirteen or fourteen afforded to each one, all prompts are done primarily in order but from each set corresponding alongside each other, up until the 20TH prompts (just visit her website to see what I mean). Expect at least four to two updates every other week (if I can remember). Read and Review, constructive criticism is welcome and if you don't like, don't read.

* * *

**Title:**  Checking in

 **Summary:**  Kendrix gets an unexpected visit from Leo during the shoot of  _"Star Crossed Lovers"_.

**Prompt: "Friends"**

**Series: Book One**

**Timeline:**  "Lights of Orion" arc. A  _"Double Duty"_ -tag.

* * *

Tired did not begin to describe the exhaustion that Kendrix Morgan was feeling. Held up inside the trailer shared by herself and Carolyn Pickets, Kendrix stared down at the script bound by a loose leaf notebook in the vain hopes of memorizing her lines for the upcoming scene between herself and her co-star love interest, "Bobby". It wasn't hard, the maximum amount of words spoken for the scene exactly was only ten, yet her mind did very little to commit them to memory. Each time she spoke aloud to the refection in the mirror the words would fumble across her tongue and over her lips, exposing her for the novice she was.

In retrospect she couldn't even begin to fathom why she agreed to cover for the "injured" actress. Aside from looks, they were as different as two people could be and acting, she realized, was not the cakewalk she thought it would be (especially with this director). She was missing the sterilize environment of her desk at the Science Division, she missed her glasses and hanging out with her friends. She hadn't seen the others in days. What's more, they were hardly ever allowed to visit the set despite her protests.

The isolation was driving her mad.

A knock on the door drew her attention away from the printed text on the paper before her. Casting a lazy glance past her shoulder she muttered a quiet, "Come in," before focusing her attentions on the script again. The door opened, illuminating the grim corner across from threshold of the trailer, Kendrix set up a little straighter and squinted a litter harder at the script, hoping it would make her seem more attentive than normal.

"I see your hard at work," The amusement and the tone of voice took all but a second to process, the image of smiling green eyes came to mind immediately as she turned in her seat. "Leo, hey!" She exclaimed with a smile. "What are you doing here?"

Leo shut the thin door behind him, grinning at the sight of his dolled up friend. Closing the distance between them, he made himself comfortable at the dining table across from her counter turned vanity. "Not much," He said. "I was just lookin' around set, thought I'd come see how you were doing." There was something about his expression, the way his eyes would shift from her to the door that let her know this wasn't an official visit by any means. Choosing not to comment on his obvious illegality, she decided to maintain the path of conversation. "I'm doin' alright, thanks. How are things on your end? Any leads on the Lights of Orion or Wisewizard?"

Leo fiddled with the frayed ends of his Terra Venture-issued jacket, a frown on his face, an obvious sign that things were progressing anywhere for the team. "No, nothing solid," He said. "He hasn't shown up since you've taken Carolyn's place in the movie. Kai figures that he's biding his time, so we've sticking pretty close to the sets just in case."

"Are you sure that's smart, though?" She asked. "They could attack the colony elsewhere, maybe that's why haven't shown up."

"Nah, Furio's not that smart," Leo remarked offhandedly. "Besides, by close I meant we're someplace we can see you, not hiding behind trees and stuff. We've got everything under control, you'll see." Kendrix nodded solemnly, commending Kai for his usual quick thinking. Leo's tongue clicked in obvious frustration, his fingers traced the ends the hardwood table in idle reflection. "I wish Maya knew something, this feels like something right up her alley."

"Right up her alley?" Kendrix grinned. "Leo, we've only known her for two weeks, I think it's a bit presumptuous to believe she knows everything about anything besides what she's been taught on Mirinoi."

Leo seemed to think on her words for a moment before nodding. "I guess so," He murmured, looking almost beside himself with embarrassment. A moment of silence passed between them, Kendrix studied the distant expression on his face, wondered what he as thinking about, if he was thinking at all. A hurried knock on the screen door startled the two of them to attention, Leo moved faster than she could process, ducking directly behind her chair and under counter. Carolyn's assistant stepped into view, Kendrix placed a hand on the script sitting on the counter, doing her best to look calm as the young woman glanced around the confined space. "Was there someone in here just now?" She asked.

"N-No, it's just me," Kendrix replied hastily. "I'm role playing."  _Yes, that didn't sound at all untrue,_  she thought to herself. The assistant continued to stare at her, her expression unreadable. "Well, your on in fifteen, so-"

Kendrix gave the assistant a thumbs up. "You betcha, I'll be out in a second."

"Okay," The assistant retreated from the trailer, door clattering shut behind her. Leo emerged a moment later, hands clasped around the back of Kendrix's seat. She turned ever so slightly, suddenly aware of the lack of space between their lips; Leo seemed to acknowledge this with a careful look, coupled with his trademark smile. Knowing better than search for something in nothing, she smiled back at him. "I think you better go," Kendrix breathed.

"I think I better, too," He laughed.


	2. Certainties

**Title:**  Certainties

**Summary:**  A late night on Mirinoi leads to conversation between Rangers.

**Prompt: "Let me tell You a Story"**

**Series: Book One**

**Timeline:**  Post- _"Journey's End"_.

* * *

"You know, there was a time where I never thought we'd see you again." Kendrix turned away from the night sky, her concentration broken by the arrival of Leo. Out of all of them, he was the only one that hadn't bothered to wash himself clean of the grime and blood of the battle earlier that day. The cut on his forehead was bandaged and stitches were provided for the cut on his scalp, but that as far as he ever let anyone get with mending him.

She'd barely been gone for two months, yet seeing him now, it was hard not acknowledge he'd gone through yet another significant change in mood and personality. "Really?" She held a back a smile, not wanting to seem like she was making light of his feelings. Leo stood next to her, eyes focused on her expression. "Yeah," The admission was simple, but spoke in volumes to what to what he meant.

"To be honest, we were kinda lost without you," His lips stretched into a wane smile, one that never reached his eyes. Kendrix studied his expression, or rather what his expression failed to say and what his eyes did.

He and the others might've soldiered on, but it had never been because they knew she'd come back, it was because they  _had_  to. The grief and sorrow they carried inside them, she knew of it, but she'd never experienced any of it. She would never know they felt when they lost "her" in the same way they would never know how it felt be killed by the Savage Sword's shockwave.

" _Let me tell you a story"_  wouldn't work as a humorous go between to make light of what would become a past event. There was no getting around how indescribable the situation they were in was. Karone more than earned her place on the team, empowered with the knowledge that she had Kendrix's blessing and because of that, some part of them were allowed to move on.

Then she returned, so she simply guessed it wasn't unnatural to be a little more than jarred by her sudden reappearance despite their happiness. "Did you know you'd come back?"

"Not right away," Kendrix sighed. "After I passed my powers on to Karone, I was too busy adjusting to the way things were on my end. I wasn't here, I couldn't help you guys, I could only watch occasionally. When you disappeared into the Lost Galaxy, that's when I started to assume I wasn't coming back, because there wasn't a connection to your world and the one I was in. But you found your way back eventually, like you always do and I had hope."

"But how did you know we'd make back here, to Mirinoi?" Leo asked.

The lingering silence, coupled by the strange and alien sounds of the night complimented the shadows upon her face as she turned to face him directly. "It was a feeling," She said, eyes lowering. "It was the only thing I was sure about then, if you can believe that." Leo nodded, a small smile gracing his chapped lips. "I can," He said. His arm wrapped itself around her shoulders, ignoring the spike of pain that flashed across his shoulder blades. Kendrix leaned into his supportive grasp, happy to have him around.


	3. Keywords

**Title:**  Keywords

**Summary:**  Don't say the magic word and he'll be just fine.

**Prompt: "Dare"**

**Series: Book One**

**Timeline:**  Unspecified _._

* * *

"I can't believe you did that."

"It was a joke, Kendrix!"

"That was not a joke, it was dare. Even I know the difference, Kai."

"Well… it's not like I did it on purpose. I forgot!"

A weak defense made for an even angrier scientist.

"I'd say it was  _completely_  your fault, seeing as he wasn't in his right mind!"

"How was I supposed to know Hypnos' suggestion would kick in that fast? I was kidding around with him, he was laughing and the next thing I know, he's trying to-"

"Don't say it!" Kendrix elbowed her best friend in the side, shooting a quick glance over at where Leo was sitting. The Red Ranger hadn't budged from his seat in front of the counter, one hand propped under his chin while the other was handcuffed to his brother, who looked equally as anxious as Kendrix did. Leo followed Mike's line of sight over to Kendrix and Kai, a bright smile graced his once blank features. "Hey, guys," He spoke as if were the first time he'd seen them in days, implying that the hypnotic suggestion had reset itself again.

Kendrix smiled briefly toward her friend, ignoring the daggers being glared into her skull by a bruised Kai. "Hi, Leo, how are you?"

"I'm great!" He answered without hesitation, seconds before his expression was befallen with confusion. "I feel like there's something I'm forgetting, though." He moved his left arm to scratch his chin, to say he was a little more than startled by the fact that Mike was handcuffed to his wrist. "Mike, what's-?"

"Believe me, Leo, there's-" Mike began.

"-A perfectly good explanation for this," Kendrix finished hastily. "No need to worry."

"Yeah, no need to jump to-  _ouch!_ " Kai doubled over from the shot in the foot from Kendrix's heel.

"Kai!" She proclaimed.

Leo stood up from his seat on the stool, face alight with realization. "Of course, now I remember!" He looked his brother, who's expression had paled considerably when Leo focused his attentions on the handcuffs. With one tug, the steel chain snapped from what little exertion was applied to, leaving both men with a bracelet as a memoir to its original purpose. "Mike, c'mon, I've gotta find something really high to jump off." And with that, he ran out of the room before anyone could properly react.

"Alright, guys, we've gotta find Hypnos," Mike declared, taking control of the situation. "Kendrix, you go after my brother, Kai, you come with me." With their tasks assigned, the two followed the older Corbett out of the boys dormitory, Kendrix going off in the direction Leo was last seen rushing off in.

With Alpha's guidance, she would arrive in time to stop Leo from walking off the cliffside in the mountain dome and the others would find Hypnos and destroy it with the Galaxy Megazord, effectively freeing Leo and the other victims from its spell. He didn't remember of thing of the events that brought him to the ledge, he was more than a little freaked out by the idea that he came to just as one of his feet left the edge of the cliff.

There was no doubt in mind he'd been had Kendrix not tackled him to the ground.

When he asked how it happened Kendrix told him it was something that happened way too fast in the chaos to even pinpoint. The truth of it, however, was that his usual heroics had compelled him to jump in front of Kendrix to protect her from the arachnid monster's spell, effectively planting the suggestion to "jump off of something" in his mind like all of his other victims. She hadn't been down for the count for too long and while appreciative, there were times she wished he wasn't so careless about his own safety versus the team.

Seeing him so ready to take a dive from the top of a cliff wasn't something she wanted a repeat of any time soon.


	4. Intangible Truths

**Title:**  Intangible Truths

**Summary:**  An injured Leo is feeling more than a little persecuted.

**Prompt: "Guilt"**

**Series: Book One**

**Timeline:**  "Lights of Orion" arc.  _"Shark Attack"_ -tag.

* * *

Even when he was hurt, Leo couldn't stop moving. Treacheron's attack had taken him out of the fight and once again, Leo found himself bedridden in the medical bay of the Astro Megaship, too incapacitated to even feign a smile. He was in a kind of pain that could only be quelled by meds, but he refused to take them, thinking he could still help the others fight. He sat awkwardly on the edge of the bed, shoulders slumped and arms supporting the weight his abdomen was refusing to keep up.

There was no real way of applying peroxide to cut as fine as the one his stomach, red, irritated and puffy, there never wasn't a moment when Leo would inch away from her whenever she came near or bared his teeth like the lion that chose him as his rider. Kendrix reframed from patronizing him, a firm, but simple look kept him still long enough for her to finish applying the peroxide. "That should do it," She said to no one in particular. "I just need the bandage and you'll be set." Leo watched her move from the bed to the first aid cabinets, clearly familiar with the enclosed surroundings after a week and a half. "Kendrix-"

Her hand paused just inches away from the roll of bandages, fingers tapping the edges of the circular object with impatience. She knew exactly what he was going to say to her, but it wasn't exactly the kind of conversation one could have with another without expressing particular beliefs. Turning to face him, Kendrix tried her best to ignore the guilt-ridden expression playing on his weary features. "Leo, don't-"

"I heard him, I heard Mike," Leo stated warily. "I'm not crazy-"

"I didn't say you were-"

"-I didn't hallucinate, I really heard his voice." His voice had been steady up until the end, the simple crack in his confidence let her know he was becoming agitated, most likely from the pain or the guilt of thinking of his brother. Kendrix turned on one heel and approached the bed, moving quickly she pulled the surgical tape away from the roll and began to wrap it around his waist. Their eyes met occasionally whenever she chose to acknowledge the feeling that he was indeed staring at her. "No one's saying your crazy, Leo, but look at it from our point of view," She said. "How can Mike be alive? We all saw him fall into that crevice on Mirinoi. There's no way he could've survived."

"I know  _how_  it sounds, Kendrix, but you have to believe me," He persisted. "Mike is alive, I can feel it, right here." Leo placed a hand over his chest, red eyes brimming with fresh tears. Instinctively, she grasped the hand with her own. Matters of the heart were a tricky thing, logic dictated that Mike was gone and that any other feeling or thought that argued the honest truth was denial plain and simple. Yet, when she looked into his eyes it was hard to keep from thinking there was a possibility of survival somewhere in the finite situation of Michael Corbett's passing. Kendrix shot a discreet glance toward the closed doors of the medical bay, wondering when the others would return from their recon mission. Maya was better at handling Leo when he was like this, she out of her depth when it came to the spiritual and feelings based on intangible truths. Fastening the last of the bandages around his waist, she checked the bandage on his head. There was a relatively bright spot of blood in the center of it, meaning the cut hadn't exactly stopped bleeding. "Does your head hurt any?"

Leo grimaced. "A little, but-"

"No buts, your taking a sedative and your going to rest," She interjected firmly, feeling a little more like a mother hen. Leo looked as if he was going to protest some more, however, the wrong move silenced him, sending his arm around his waist. Pushing him back down into a lying position, she made short work of the sedative preparation.

Leo eyed the gun warily. "Kendrix, I can't rest now, you guys need me," When he tried to sit up Kendrix pushed him back down onto the hard bed, pressing the gun against his neck she pulled the trigger. The snapping hiss let her know the contents of the syringe had been administered into his system, almost immediately Kendrix could see his eyes beginning to droop and pupils dilate. "We need you resting, Leo," She argued softly, smoothing his hair back. "Your no good to us hurt like this."

"But-"

"Get some rest, we'll talk about Mike later, alright?" Though he barely managed it, Leo uttered a slurred "okay" before his eyes slid shut and the hand that taken possession of Kendrix's idle one went limp against his chest.


	5. Pep Talk

**Title:**  Pep Talk

**Prompt: "Secrets"**

**Series: Book OneTimeline:**  During  _"Rookie in Red"_ , prior to Leo's resignation from the GSA.

* * *

Between getting sandwiched between Quasar Saber to fit inside the inner pocket of a leather jacket that smelled like rotten eggs and riding the hardened mane of the Lion Galactabeast, Leo wasn't sure how he found the time to brood over his less than stellar performance in the workforce. He honestly expected Kai to reprimand him the moment they demorphed, but he simply asked if he was alright.

To say it threw him off would be an understatement, but he underplayed his shock and nodded in the affirmative nonetheless. Things made more sense when he assumed Kai would be chewing him out for behaving recklessly, but now? How was he supposed to approach this guy without anything to work off of? To top off his confusion with Kai, he wasn't feeling terribly assertive in his role as the leader of Galaxy Rangers.

Sitting on the picnic table in the park, Leo watched the grass sway in the simulated wind, fingers plucking at the threads at the end of his GSA issue uniform.  _Some Red Ranger I turned out to be, I can't even fight without getting kidnapped._  "I bet that never happened to the other Reds," He muttered.

"What never happened to the other Reds?" Leo's reaction was caught somewhere between a jump and literal yelp. He hadn't heard Kendrix's approach at all, she appeared beside him with a small smile on her lips. Still fairly wide-eyed by her sudden appearance, Leo contemplated on how he could've answered her.

There was obvious answer, cutting straight to the chase, then there was simply avoiding the question altogether with a chipper greeting. He'd barely known her for two weeks, but Kendrix didn't strike him as the prying kind. "Uh, no-nothing," He watched as she strolled around the bench of the picnic table, not a care in the world; she turned to face him, leaning forward she braced herself on the edge of the table. If she believed him, Kendrix gave no such implication. "So, you know your shift starts in exactly forty minutes, right?" Kendrix inquired, quirking an eyebrow.

Leo nodded, a dejected expression gracing his features. "I know," He replied. "I just needed time to think." Sitting on the designated bench, Kendrix nudged his leg with her shoulder, he only inclined his head slightly toward her, he kept his eyes focused on the busier world ahead of them. "You seem to be doing that lot," Kendrix stated. "Thinking, I mean. Any of it good?"

"Mostly," Leo rocked side to side for a moment, a wry smile on his lips. "I was just thinking back to when were on the practice moon. Mike didn't tell you anything about his life before Terra Venture?" Kendrix started to answer then pressed her lips together. She'd known Mike for the better part of four years during her training with the GSA, she and Kai had become friends without ever acknowledging the fact that a rapport had developed between them. Yet, in retrospect, Kendrix began to wonder how she knew him for so long without ever learning anything about his family beyond "I have a mom and dad".

Part of her wanted to blame the idea of Mike being evasive; if the conversation even felt like it was steering his direction, he'd ask a question about their lives in Angel Grove and they would answer, soon to forget the original intention of the conversation altogether. The moment he'd revealed Leo was his brother, both she and Kai were shocked. it was like some scandalous secret had been dropped into their lap. _A brother, he'd had brother all this time and didn't tell us._  When she'd approached the subject of Leo, Mike's answer wasn't necessarily evasive, but it hardly answered  _why_  he never mentioned him.

"He said a few things about living in Angel Grove, school, his parents. But nothing about you and I can figure out why," She mused, resting her chin on the back of her hand. Leo shifted his gaze down over to her, a small frown on his lips. "You don't seem so bad," She said after a moment.

Grinning, Leo said, "You might change your mind once you get to know me." That much was true, she didn't know him, but there wasn't anything about him that screamed "bad" to her. Kendrix rolled her eyes in mock annoyance, shaking her head. "Maybe," Her response was made exactly at the same time the familiar "blurp" of their communicators went off. Almost immediately, their hands went up to cover the morphers, eyes scanning their surroundings for any potential witnesses. Removing his hand from over the morpher, Leo puzzled over the flashing blue square underneath the golden rim. Raising his morpher to his mouth, Leo spoke. "What's up, Kai?"

" _Commander Stanton is looking for you, get here ASAP,"_  Came the Blue Ranger's answer.

"But my shift isn't for another twenty minutes!"

" _Leo-"_  Kai stressed his name with clear annoyance. Leo shifted his gaze back over to Kendrix, who, to credit, did her best not to chuckle at the pout that his lips formed.

"Okay, okay, I'm on my way," He sighed, lowering arm. Rising from the bench, Kendrix closed the distance between herself and Leo. "I don't think I'm cut out for this job," He mused.

"Nonsense," Kendrix objected, looping her arm around his. "I think the headquarters will be a lot more exciting with you around."


	6. Strange Daze

**Title:**  Strange Daze

**Prompt: "Impression"**

**Series: Book OneTimeline:**  Takes place during "Quasar Quest (1)".

* * *

Between speaking a mile a minute about the daily routine needed to maintain the correct temperature for the hybrids and colliding into what she believed was a wall that materialized out of nowhere, Kendrix wasn't sure how she had time to be struck dumb. All of their equipment went clattering to the floor around her, her cheeks flushed red with embarrassment at the realization that she was in the middle of the airport with a thousand spectators witness to her humiliation.

Her jaw clenched, her fingers curled under into her palm as she raised her line of sight to the disheveled man standing before her, offering a helping hand. Kendrix had half a mind to be angry with the stranger, yet looking him directly in the eye brought all sharp-tongued remarks to a halt.  _Oh,_  it was literally all she could think of as she looked him over. "I'm sorry!" His voice was soft, completely apologetic for what happened.

_Oh,_ when she took hold of his hand, her heart jumped a little, the warmth of his hand sent a tingle up her arm. Kendrix wanted to say something, anything that redeem her dumbstruck expression, but her motor functions refused to cooperate. She just stood there with her hand around his forearm, staring like one of the girls from high school fantasizing over the star quarterback. All she needed were a pair of blonde pigtails and buns atop her head and "ditz" would justify the absolute nothing running through her head. Their connection barely lasted a moment, but the equally dazed expression on his face meant she was alone in the speechlessness.

"You oughta be more careful," Kai's strict, unbending presence soldiered it's way through the fog of her mind, breaking her connection with the stranger immediately. Composing herself, Kendrix watched the tension begin to build between the two, fearing she'd have to play mediator. Instead, the stranger hardly spares Kai a glance, choosing instead to offer her a slightly uneasy smile as his eyes switch to the world behind her.

"Here, let me help you," He ducked out of sight, grabbing up their fallen equipment; he stops for a moment, stares intently at whomever might be behind them, but Kendrix never thinks twice about turning around. The stranger rose to his full height and dumped the Kevlar and helmets into Kai's arms without a second thought, his eyes met hers once again and she smiled.  _Hi, stranger._  She couldn't help but feel slightly when he ducked his head like a man guilty of wrongdoing and hurried away.

Slipping in and out of her daze as she watched him vanish into the crowd, Kendrix did her best to maintain her focus on the security guards inquiry about a man in a red shirt, her mind quickly putting two and two together.  _A stowaway,_  the word was spoken with such vehement disgust yet it didn't match the vibe she got from the young man who knocked her down.

She found herself acting more instinct than morality when she grabbed Kai's arm and played the security guards for fools.  _Had they seen him?_ "I don't think so," She told them with a straight face, ignoring the bewilderment that washed over Kai. Without a second thought the guards ran in the opposite direction of the Stowaway, giving her all the satisfaction she ever needed that day.


	7. Out from Under

**Title:**  Out from Under

**Prompt: "One Moment"**

**Series: Book OneTimeline:**  Takes place during "Quasar Quest (1)", a companion piece to "Strange Daze".

* * *

The only thing this scenario was missing were flashing sirens and barking dogs, at least then, he'd know what was coming.

For all the elation that came with finally arriving to his destination, it was hard not feel as though the dream would shattered every second he wandered out into the open. Running up the escalator destined to meet the ground below only intensified the feeling of a nightmare come true in a fantasy, eager to gobble him up and thrown him back down to earth.

He used the bodies crowded together to his advantage, pushing a few select out of his way as he propelled himself up the stairs. Grabbing a hold of the baluster he hoisted himself over the gap between the escalator and the standard concrete stones, landing in a crouch he rushed up the stairs, never sparing a glance to the danger behind. If the guards knew he was here, then there was good chance somebody probably told his brother (if his brother even on the colony).

Throwing caution to the wind, he ran at full speed, bag bouncing hard against his hip as he breezed through the unsuspecting crowd in transit. As he came around the corner, he made the mistake of looking back to see if they were still pursuit and never thought to slow down until the blur of blonde, pink and glasses were practically in his face.

The force of their bodies colliding knocked her down, the contents in her arms hit the ground in bizarre circle, he stumbled to keep his balance as he stared down at the mess he created. "I'm sorry!" He leaned forward, offering his hand to help. The blur of colors, he realized, was a girl and not exactly the kind that would send his heart into overdrive, yet that's exactly what it did when she grabbed his forearm. Easy on the eyes, streamlined, sharp features that drew his attention to her eyes. He hoisted her off the ground, unable to utter the necessary apologies needed to redeem himself. His mouth went dry, thought became nonexistent and he was pretty sure he was turning red somewhere around the collar.

His body, it seemed, was completely content with staring at her like crazy person.

"You ought to be more careful," He did a double take, his eyes focused briefly on the man he was just remembering was standing next to her before returning to her. Some part of his brain was agreeing with the man in front of him, he should've been more careful, there was no telling what could've happened if he hadn't- oh, who was he kidding? Fixing her a nervous smile, he allowed his gaze to linger on her for another moment before acknowledging the movement going on behind her.  _Oh, no._  The security guards from earlier were scanning the perimeter, out of breath and irritated by their misfortune.

"Here, let me help you," Ducking down, he collected the fallen items from the ground while keeping a careful eye on the guards across the way. Rising to his feet, he dumped the items into the guy's arms, eyes focused completely on the girl before him. She swayed a little, a dreamy smile on her face.  _Hi, stranger,_  he could see her saying to him.  _Hey, beautiful,_  he'd reply, a cheesy smile to finish it off. Swallowing the knot in his throat, he turned away and started back the way he came. When he spared her one more glance she was still staring at him.


	8. Moonlighting

**Title:**  Moonlighting

**Prompt: "Youth"**

**Series: Book One**

**Timeline:**  None specified.

* * *

The stars and the moonlight always made for an interesting combination as a light source, especially when sitting out on the porch. Kendrix played with the transparent slip of her dress, feeling more than a little overdressed in the gown that went past the length of her legs and spilled across the floor like a puddle of white. It as miracle she could even walk in the dress without assistance from Maya or Karone.

Readjusting the bodice, she pulled the diamond shaped sleeves up further onto her shoulders and proceeded to tuck her loose hair behind her ears. Leaning back in the swinging chair, Kendrix took a moment to spy through the window to see what he was doing. Leo was walking back and forth in the living room, a bottle of champagne in one hand and two wine glasses in the other, completely ignorant to the spectator in the window. It was a strange sight to see him in a suit (let alone any kind of uniform), he seemed completely uncomfortable in it, yet it fit him like a glove.

He stopped for a moment to regard the three objects in his hands, Kendrix watched with some disappointment when he set the champagne and the glasses on the table. Crossing her legs, she watched him disappear from sight for a moment, eyes scanning across the wall of the house until he stepped through the front door. He didn't join her on the seat right away, instead he leaned against the frame, fingers playing with the band that caught the reflection of the moonlight that washed over the porch. "Kinda strange, huh?" Kendrix asked, a smile on her lips. Leo shrugged his shoulders, studying his finger. "Its not too big of a change," He replied, mirroring her smile. "I just have to remember not to loose it."

"Or take it off," Kendrix added.

"Yeah, then there's that," Pushing away from the door frame, Leo crossed the relatively short distance between them and made himself comfortable next to her. Kendrix leaned against him, chin resting on his shoulder. His fingers intertwined with the idle hand resting on her leg just above her knee, the simple silver ring accented with the modest diamond in the center complimented her slender fingers.

The events of day vanished into the night reworked themselves in reverse in his mind, from watching her walk down the narrow path created by the crowd and the veil falling away from her face, revealing the smiling bride. It took all his self control not to kiss her before they exchanged their vows and placed the rings on their fingers.

They spent the allotted time with fiends and family, eating cake and swallowing champagne like it was going out of style, until the exuberant energies of all present began to wane. Dizzy with happiness, the two retreated to their home where they spent the remainder of the evening watching the sun vanish into the night and comparing notes of the time spent prior to meeting at the Quasar Saber's altar. "What should we now?" She whispered sleepily.

"Sleep? I'm beat," Leo murmured, ignoring the small whine of protest with Kendrix. He turned to face her as she adjusted her head so that it was upright, their foreheads touched as he leaned closer. "I don't wanna go to sleep," Kendrix sighed, tightening her grip on his hand.

Leo smiled as she pulled away from him to lay back against the chair. Slouching, he grabbed her legs and placed them across his lap. "How about trading stories? Tell me something about your childhood, something that you haven't told me yet," Leo suggested. "I bet you were a bookworm."

Kendrix nudged him in the stomach with her foot, a look of mock offense playing on her flush skin. "Hey, I wasn't always reading books. I'll have you know I was quite the accomplished soccer player when I was elementary school."

"Seriously?"

Kendrix reframed from looking offended as she replied, "Yeah, I was on the soccer team in elementary school. We won a least one trophy before our coach transferred to another school." She paused, eyeing him curiously. "Is that so hard to believe?"

"N-no, not really," He said. "I always kinda figured you'd be a..."

"A what?"

"Tennis player," Leo finished with a grimace. Kendrix chuckled at his uneasy expression, half relieved that was the "worst" he could've come up with as far as youthful occupations were concerned. She half expected him to label her as the girl stuck in the book club. She shook her head. "Tennis definitely wasn't my cup of tea," She said. "I had friends who were devoted players, though. Now, what about you? Were a football kind've guy or a baseball fan?"

"Football, definitely," Leo answered. "I never joined any teams, but Mike and I never missed the chance to play, even if it was just the two of us or Dad."

"What about your mom?"

"Mom was no fan of football. She preferred baseball over any other ball-related sports and you couldn't change her mind about it," He laughed. "If you did, there'd be a very passionate lecture about why baseball is the better sport and everything else is a pale imitator."

"Well, she sounds like a lovely person," Kendrix smiled, leaning back further against the arm of the chair. Leo seemed to take her comment to heart, his features softened, revealing a forlorn look beneath the amusement. "She is. If we ever get the chance to visit earth again, I'd like for you to meet her."

"I'd like that too."


	9. Confide in Me

**Title:**  Confide in Me

**Prompt: "Patience"**

**Series: Book One**

**Timeline:**  Post- _"Quasar Quest (2)"_

* * *

A lot could be said about a man who was willing to trust two people he barely knew, especially after loosing that which was familiar to him. After escaping the clutches of Furio, Leo trusted the two GSA soldiers would find a way to keep him and Maya on the colony, but the moment Kendrix had tried to console him he pulled away and retreated into the bowls of the Megaship. Kendrix couldn't figure why he was more inclined to rely the wild woman who held onto his arm like a life-saver, as opposed to her. Logic told argued that she was just jealous, but Kendrix liked to think to went further than hormonal reaction over the opposite sex. She knew Mike, so naturally, Kendrix liked to think Leo would've made himself comfortable with her, trusted her.

But he went to Maya instead.

Maya proved enough that she was hardly a push over in the matters of defense, but she seemed completely unable to cope with the radical changes of her world to maintain that steel that Kendrix been witness to see in battle. Leo, on the other hand, while he played the role of protector, didn't seem to be all there. He stared ahead like a robot, his face devoid of any immediate emotion. The five of them traversed the halls of the colony's hanger like thieves running through the night, Kai leading the pack from prying eyes. "We should able to work something out for you before anyone notices your not supposed to be here," Kai explained, placing a all-access pass into Leo's hand. "In the meantime, just go to Mike's room and stay there until we come get you, alright?"

"W-won't somebody notice us?" He asked.

"Not, really," Kendrix stated, cutting into the conversation. "Everyone's working right now, no one should be around to question it. Just keep the door locked, okay?" She tried to smile for him, hoping it would make things seem less bleak. Leo focused his attention on her for a moment before lowering his gaze with a small nod. And that's when she saw it, the flicker of overwhelming guilt that reflected in the dim light of his green eyes. He didn't think she -they- blamed him for what happened, did he?

He couldn't.

The group reached the crossroads of the hall, Damon stepped out from behind Maya, eyes darting back and forth. Turning on one heel, he gestured to the left corridor, a uneasy expression on his face. "If y'all excuse me, I have to report to my superiors," He said. "Their sure to have questions about the illegal repossession of the Megaship Museum."

"What are you gonna tell them?" Kai inquired.

"Gee, I dunno, maybe that I felt like taking it for a test drive and hoped not to lose my job," Damon replied with thinly veiled sarcasm. He didn't wait for the next question that would eventually come from Kai, he jogged down the corridor at top speed, tool belt jingling loudly as he went. Kendrix exhaled slowly, there were so many problems with their new predicament it wasn't funny; Aside from the Megaship, her, Kai and Mike's absences were definitely going to need a story that Commander Stanton was going swallow without a second thought. The man wasn't someone you could lie to and not crack under pressure.

Kai placed a firm hand on her shoulder as he stepped out into the center of the corridor. "Kendrix, we've gotta get going," He said. There was a moment of silence, Kendrix turned to face the two lost souls standing before her. Maya's attention was focused on the florescent track lights above them, Leo watched her, the ghost of a smile on his lips.

There was nothing more Kendrix wanted than to remain behind with them, make sure he got settled enough that there was no chance of his getting caught, but she had a job to adhere to and a position that wouldn't go unnoticed if were vacant.  _Just be patient, Kendrix, he'll come around._ "I'll see you two after work," She said, starting down the hall. "If you need anything, just contact us, alright?" Leo turned away from Maya's curious movements in time to see Kendrix's ponytail swinging behind her as she headed down the hall.

"Sure thing," Kendrix heard Leo's quiet reply echo down the quiet halls.


	10. Work at It

**Title:**  Work at It

**Prompt: "Match"**

**Series: Book One**

 **Timeline:**  Post "Double Duty".

* * *

Kendrix was no skilled warrior. Even as a Power Ranger she acknowledged the fact that whatever prowess she had in battle was attributed more to strength of those who wielded the Quasar Saber before her and her Zord, the Wildcat. Out of the five of them, Kendrix was sure she and Damon were the only ones on the team that weren't matched in martial arts or any other form of self-defense; Maya could fight circles around her, even if was unorthodox and based more how her Galactabeast fought. Kendrix did a fair enough job of defending herself, but there was room for serious improvement.

For the longest time, Kai and Mike made it a personal goal of theirs to improve the basic self-defense lessons she'd learned before joining GSA, be it simply how to perform a roundhouse kick properly or how to keep from overextending herself in attacks. She remembered standing on the sidelines, watching how effortless Mike and Kai made blocking, kicking and flipping look, it was almost a form of interpretive dance to a point. What she'd learned from them helped well enough in the fight against Wisewizard, but only when he was effectively unable to tell her apart from Carolyn Pickets (who, to her surprise, was better fighter than she was).

On a few rare occasions she'd seen Leo training on his own in the park. How he fought morphed or unmorphed was hardly any different with the exception of fighting with the Lion's strength, not unlike herself or the others. Why he preferred to train alone was a source of curiosity for her, especially since he didn't seem to have a problem with training with the others at all.

He wasn't a lone wolf by any means, Leo was too personable for isolation, he liked contact and socializing. Yet, when she watched him fight an invisible enemy, dancing across the empty space before him with the quick succession of kicks and punches, it was hard not see why he preferred only his shadow for a companion. He was a marvel to watch, calm and focused like the air around him. And at the risk of disturbing his tranquility, Kendrix approached him one afternoon and asked the question that she needed answered; "I'm looking for a teacher, will you help me?"

Leo stopped in mid kick, leg raised and bent for a moment before he lowered to the ground. "How do you mean?" He asked, reaching for the towel that laid idle on the ground. Kendrix raised her arm from her side to create a fist, she gave him a light tap on the shoulder. "That's how I mean," She said. "I wanna become a better fighter." Despite the confusion, Leo seemed to consider her words for a moment, he looked her over, clearly wondering what prompted her to ask him, of all people, to help her fight. "You seem like a pretty good fighter already, Kendrix," Leo stated.

"Well, that's just it, I'm 'pretty good'," Kendrix reaffirmed, "but I want to become better than 'pretty good'. I want be as  _great_  any the rest of you guys."

Leo, misunderstanding her point, shrugged her shoulders. "Kendrix, you don't have to-" His sentence trailed off the moment he saw her eyebrows lower themselves behind the lenses of her glasses. She marched up to him, a slender finger pointed at his chest. "Leo Corbett, if you use my intelligence as reason for not training, so help me, I will-"

"Whoa, whoa!" Leo grabbed the hand threatening him with and changed it's direction. "I wasn't gonna say that, I was just-" He huffed in frustration. "Kendrix, I'm no teacher. I thought Kai was helping you out?"

"He was, but, he's been pretty busy and I don't want to bother him," She replied. "Besides, I'm not asking you give me advanced lessons. Just help improve what I already know." At the hesitant expression on his face, Kendrix clasped his occupied hand with her own and put her best puppy face. "Please?" Leo, whether she realized it or not, didn't have much of a resistance against her, whatever her mood or expression.

Thus, the moment she made the extra plead, Leo had already caved. Biting the inside of his mouth, he finally nodded his head. "Sure, why not?" His face lit up with a easy smile, Kendrix beamed up at him in equal appreciation. Wrapping her arms around him she locked him in a hug, completely ignorant of the sweat and stink of his workout.


	11. Waterscape

**Title:**  Waterscape

**Prompt: "Routine"**

**Series: Book One**

**Timeline:**  None specified.

* * *

"What are you doing?" The tinge of amusement in her voice let don't hew he wasn't in too much trouble, yet he couldn't help but feel a tad guilty when she caught him standing knee deep in the Gapra River with a spear in his hand. Never taking his eyes off the flow of the river, Leo replied, "Fishing. How's your back?"

Kendrix walked nearer to the shore, hand on the sorest part of her back as she watched him move to the right. Lowering herself down onto one of the logs, Kendrix sighed, "Still a little sore. How about you, how's your back?"

"My back is fine, its my legs that are sore, but other that?" He shrugged. "I'm good."

Silence.

"You know, I'm pretty sure Maya said that's not you catch the fish around here," She said after a moment.

"Yeah, well, Damon broke my fishing rod, so-"

She went over the routine mental-list of possible candidates for fishing rods until returning to the obvious choice. "You could always ask Mike if you could borrow his," She interjected.

"Mike never lets me borrow anything of his, not since we were kids," Leo confessed, catching a glimpse of one of the fish swimming merrily upstream. He didn't get a chance to hear Kendrix's question, raising the spear above his head he charged forward into the water. Kendrix watched more than a little amusement as he stabbed the spear into the water like a Wildman, muttering angrily at his enemy as he did so. After a moment he stopped and the water calmed around him, Kendrix learned forward a bit in the vain hopes of catching a glimpse of his game.

Finally, Leo stood up and turned to face her. To her genuine surprise the fish was skewered on the spear, flapping around as if it could escape. "You wanted fish, so I caught a fish!" He declared, awfully proud of himself.

Kendrix shook her head. "You could've just gone to the store, Leo."

"I know, but what's the point of going the store when you live next to a river full of a free fish?"

And when he put it that way, it was hard to argue with his logic.


	12. Determination

**Title:**  Determination

**Prompt: "Truth"**

**Series: Book One**

**Timeline:**   _"The Power of Pink"_

* * *

Kendrix was a firm believer in the truth. Or, at the very least, a believer in the truth when it was absolutely necessary. Lying never got anyone, especially her, very far, but it did have its uses.

If she believed the text declaring the Savage Sword stronger than five of the most coveted weapons of the known galaxy, then it was true.

If she believed Psycho Pink, arguably the weakest of the Psycho Rangers, could destroy them all by simply possessing the sword, then it was true enough.

If she believed the pain from one slash was enough to cripple both herself and Cassie, then there was no denying it.

If there was no other way to save her friend, the colony and the galaxy itself from the power the Savage Sword and Cassie's morpher, then she would do it.

However, there weren't enough truths or lies in the world that would convince her she'd survive this.

_I have to do this._


	13. Despair

**Title:**  Despair

**Prompt: "Smile"**

**Series: Book One**

**Timeline:**   _"The Power of Pink",_ companion piece to "Determination".

* * *

" _Kendrix!"_

History had a terribly tendency to repeat itself. It was bad enough I knew there was nothing I could do from where I was, but did she have to make it worse by telling us where she was? To even think she was in the middle of vortex drove me nuts because I couldn't do anything about it.

I couldn't run fast enough up the steep incline of the desert planet, couldn't propel myself any further up the damn hillside if I tried. The earth crumbled beneath my feet, sending me farther and farther away from our destination. Watching the funnel of energy flicker and diminish in a burst of light strong enough to repel them all down the hill, had been the final nail in the coffin that had yet to fall on my head.

_Damnit, let me go!_  I pleaded to whoever might've heard me, I was stunned, I couldn't move. A moment passed and I barely acknowledged Andros' arms when he pulled me up to my feet, I started running until I thought my legs would collapse under me. The energy had long since dissipated when we finally arrived; Cassie was on the ground, one hand clutching her shoulder as if it were injured, yet there wasn't a sign of any blood.

Kendrix was anywhere to be seen.

I felt ill, worse than I could probably even fathom right then and there.

Only her Saber, hanging idle in the air, appeared before the Pink Ranger materialized behind it. Maya started toward her, I could feel what she was thinking, but I held her back regardless and I'm not sure why. The guise of the Pink Ranger vanished, giving way to an equally languid Kendrix. The truth was staring all of us right in the face, she was dead and there wasn't anything - or anyone - that could bring her back.

She seemed lost for a moment, her eyes wandered the landscape and landed on us, she smiled.

God, she smiled.

"I'm okay."

_Kendrix._

"I'll always be here."

For the second time that year, I had to watch someone I love disappear.


	14. Risk

**Title:**  Risk

**Prompt: "Triumph"**

**Series: Book One (Finale)Timeline:**  Coda- _"Destined for Greatness"_.

* * *

Leo was always getting hurt.

It was a fact that she liked to ignore if she could, but the constant back and forth between the Megaship and the almost constant bandaging of injuries (minor or major), sought to keep her aware of the truth like a persistent teacher. There were times she didn't like the fact that he never stopped to think what would happen to him in a fight, it was reckless and more importantly an unnecessary risk to his own livelihood.

While the return of Mike seemed to have put him in place where he allowed himself to finally mellow out and take less of a risk, the blood stained bandage on his left arm reminded her once again that he was still willing to throw caution to the wind for them.

No triumph, no victory would amount to anything if he got himself killed.

Not for her.

* * *

**(END OF BOOK ONE)**

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**  No, not the end of the story. Still plenty of prompts to complete.


	15. Fireworks

**Title:**  Fireworks

**Prompt: "Game"**

**Series: Book Two**

**Timeline:**  Post-Series

* * *

The unholy distance between Mirinoi and Earth made leisurely visits to their home planet quite the task. Though the planet had managed to reach a point where their alliance with the GSA kept them quite stocked and connected to the rest of the galaxy, it was undeniable that Mirinoi was more than a little "out of the way" for a lot of traveling routes. Flagrant use of the Astro Megaship Mark III or standardized NASADA shuttlecraft would not be tolerated by the council, especially if it wasn't for immediate emergency situations or business.

The restrictions in which travel was imposed were something more than a simple bother for Kendrix, especially considering that there was baseball game coming up on Earth (Redskins vs. Yankees) the very day of Leo's birthday.

Being the man that he was, she suspected Leo would take the disappointing news in stride, saying he was just fine staying on Mirinoi and celebrating another way entirely. Regardless, Kendrix had wanted to do something for him since they'd settled on the jungle planet. It wasn't fair that because of their unique position in space that he didn't get to enjoy his favorite pastime anymore.

"Hey, why the long face?"

Speak of the devil. Kendrix sat back in her chair, lowering the screen of her laptop. Turning in her chair, she watched as Leo sat halfway up on the couch, plaid blanket falling from his shoulders as he reached up to rub his right eye. "No reason," Kendrix fibbed, removing her glasses. "Just feeling kind of blue."

Leo seemed to vaguely contemplate what had been said, eyes shifting back and forth in a manner that implied he would fall asleep soon enough. "Trouble at work?" He yawned.

"No, it's nothing like that," Kendrix sighed.

"Then what is it?"

"One of my friends is celebrating a birthday in a couple of weeks-"

His face lit up, he sat up a little straighter.

"-but, I can't treat her-"

Kendrix watched a small frown form on his lips; she tried to reframe from smiling at his disappointment. "-to the place I want to take her because it's on Earth and-"

"The GSA's worried about mileage with the shuttles, I get it," Leo interjected. He lay back down on the couch, head propped up on its arm. "Well, if you can't take her to earth, why not just visit Ago? It's close enough and I hear its almost time for their fireworks display. I betcha she would love that."

"I dunno, fireworks seem- a little more of a romantic gesture than a night out with a friend," She argued softly. Leo chuckled, tucking his arms underneath his head. "Don't be silly, Mike used to take me to the see fireworks all the time when I was a kid. It happened a little less the older we got, but I never forgot how much I enjoyed them."

Kendrix felt herself smiling at his recollection. "Really?"

"Totally," He replied. "Everyone loves fireworks."

"Everyone, huh?" Kendrix smiled at the honest admission, a plot formulating in her head as she tapped her finger against her chin. "I think I can make that work. Thanks, Leo." Leo gave his friend a tired nod before retreating back under the blanket. "Anytime, Kendrix."


	16. Absentee Student

**Title:**  Absentee Student

**Prompt: "Change"**

**Series: Book Two**

**Timeline:**  "The Blue Crush"

* * *

Leo had been strangely absent all that week. In the chaos of Kai's sudden love struck behavior over the girl named Hannah, the last time she'd seen Leo was a grand total of once time when they were hanging out in the boys dormitories watching Hannah - instead of Jodie Stanton - glide gracefully across the ice, the very center of Kai's attention.

The four them (Damon, Maya, Leo and herself) had exchanged a look that revealed they were thinking the same thing, the very thing Jodie was subtly aware of by the end of the week after they'd foiled another one of Scorpius' plans to find the Lights of Orion. Leo didn't necessarily vanish afterward, but his presence was sorely missed the less she saw of him.

Whenever she would visit the boy's dormitories, he was absent. Kai certainly had no knowledge of where he was, he didn't care. Damon had removed himself as the unofficial "babysitter" of Leo Corbett, declaring that the guy was familiar enough with Terra Venture's layout now that he didn't need to be watched all the time.

Maya, whose communion with the Galactabeasts seemed daily and almost endless, appeared to be the only one who'd seen the elusive young man. "He visits the Lion Galactabeast a lot during the evening; I've heard him- well I've seen him try to talk his Zord and… I don't think he understands it," Maya recounted, bothered more by Leo's poor communication skill than his nomadic behavior.

"But other than that, you haven't seen him?"

Maya shook her head solemnly. "Maybe he just wants to be alone?"

"What makes you say that?" Kendrix asked, genuinely curious. Leo had been nothing if not upbeat and approachable the last eight of weeks they'd been journeying through space. Hardly the reclusive type.

Maya gave her friend a rather admonishing look, wondering if she'd forgotten already. "It hasn't exactly been that long since he's lost Mike. He's still mourning, Kendrix."  _Oh,_ and when she put it that way it would explains things better than what she originally thought, which was that he was in some kind of danger. Maybe she shouldn't have worried Alpha so- the familiar bleep of their morphers sounded, distracting her line of thought. Maya leapt gracefully from the tree, she landed next to her as she said, "What is it Alpha?"

"Kendrix, I found Leo!"

"Really? Where?"

"Ai-yi-yi! He's in the mountain dome, just a few clicks east of you!" Kendrix spirits brightened somewhat, glad to know he so was nearby. There was a low growl from the right, they turned and witnessed the Lion Galactabeast stand tall above the trees and look to the east. Maya gasped, her hand clutched Kendrix's shoulder like a life preserver. "He's at the cave!"

"Cave, what cave?" Kendrix asked, bewildered.

"The cave where he was betrayed by one of Furio's monsters parading as his brother," She clarified as though it were obvious.

"Exactly, Maya! I'm also getting a negative energy signature there too! You guys better hurry!"

Maya and Kendrix didn't waste another second responding to Alpha's distress; they bolted across the park as fast as their legs could carry them, morphers poised to contact Kai and Damon. When the four of them reached the designated location, it was hard not to be on edge. Alpha was repeatedly telling them something was wrong in the cave and with no sign of Leo, Kendrix could only assume the worse. And like a self-fulfilling prophecy, the moment they approached the mouth of the cave there was an explosion big enough to knock them back several feet.

The ringing in her ears, intensified by the helmet that protected her, head brought the nagging concern that ate away at her into a new prospective. Watching the fire and black smoke billow out from the cave, Kendrix could only imagine the worse for their friend. If he was inside that cave, he was good as dead.

Dazed and senseless, Kendrix and the others struggled to rise to their feet. "Leo!" Kendrix watched the smoke clear with tears in her eyes; to think that everything would like this after such a short time of knowing him - barely - broke her heart. Why didn't he tell anyone where he was going?

A heavy silence lingered overhead as the smoke cleared and the heat began to diminish, Kendrix continued to stare into the mouth of the cave hoping against hope that there was some way to bring him back from the dead.

The distorted environment of the cave brought with it the arrival of an unexpected shadow. Through her tears she watched with her breath caught in her throat at the as the outline of a body moved closer and closer toward them. A man with horns on either side of his head, wearing a cape that flowed dramatically behind him, was the last thing they expected to find emerge from the cave.

For all they knew it could've been the reason for the explosion, but the prone figure hanging over his shoulder stopped them short in attacking. Standing on shaky legs, Kendrix watched as the mysterious man laid Leo on the ground and stepped away, almost willing himself to disappear. As the others rushed to Leo's side, Kendrix watched as the horned man retreat from them with no real direction.

He didn't stop when Kai demanded to know who he was, he never so much as acknowledged their presence. Kendrix didn't allow herself to be distracted by him any longer, uprooting herself she joined the others at Leo's side. "He's hurt pretty bad," Mya stated the obvious, her hand hesitant to grab any part of him. Taking a chance, Kendrix placed herself behind him and grabbed him underneath the arms. "Kendrix-"

"Kai, help me. Grab his legs," She ordered. "Damon, Mya, see if you can't find some transportation. The sooner we get him back to the megaship, the better."


	17. Frames

**Title:**  Frames

**Prompt: "Yield"**

**Series: Book Two**

**Timeline:**  N/A

* * *

The glasses she wore weren't always necessary. They were for reading, long hours of staring at text and illuminated screens that would otherwise become a blur under eyestrain without enhancement. As a child, Kendrix always assumed there was something wrong with her reading comprehension because she needed glasses. The kids would make of fun her and others that wore frames too big for their faces, "four eyes" and "pea brain" was their favorite nicknames.

She would come home crying her eyes out for being singled out and accosted, but her mother reassured her that anyone making fun of her was just jealous of her uniqueness. "There's nothing wrong with wearing glasses, they don't make you ugly, and they don't make you weird. You're my daughter no matter what you wear," Mrs. Morgan told her. For the greater part of her childhood - up until about twelve - it was a literal back and forth between the emotions of depression and reinforcement, but she survived.

As she got older, the stigma of glasses perhaps grew worse but in a much more manageable way. There was now the assumption that glasses indicated intelligence or a woman thought herself too good for whoever approached her, but that sort of stigma hardly phased her then. She was much too absorbed in her education and career to even yield to them the complete time of day.

This, on some level is what made Leo only just mildly different than the guys she dated. He saw her first and not her glasses; he never made a move to remove them when he kissed her, though he was cautious about hitting her with pillows whenever they roughhoused. If she didn't wear her glasses he didn't see her as somehow more beautiful without them, she was just Kendrix. Clichéd as it was, appearances were never the crux of his attraction for her, and for that much she was thankful.


	18. Waiting for a ride in the dark

**Title:** Waiting for a ride in the dark

**Prompt: "Moonlight"**

**Series: Book Two**

Timeline: Galaxy (Post-"A Red Romance")

* * *

Kendrix exited the GSA lab to the welcome sight of Leo standing on the other side of the walkway, fussing with his appearance in a last minute effort to make himself presentable, the artificial moonlight reflecting off the lake onto the edge of his watch peeking out from under his sleeve. Feeling criminally under dressed in her pink and gray GSA uniform, she cleared her throat and put on a smile when he spun around to face her.

"Kendrix! Hey," He breathed, cheeks flush with embarrassment. "I didn't see you there."

She gestured to his suit with a mischievous grin. "Should, I even ask or-?"

"Oh, this?" Leo's eyes became wide as saucers, he patted his suit down self-consciously. "It's just something Kai thought I could use, I have a date."

"A date?" Kendrix was curious now. She'd been a little too busy with her work to notice Leo had started seeing someone. Who's to say the others weren't off socializing as well? "Yeah, a date," As he prepared to elaborate further, a chipper redhead with curls to die for and a smile like sunshine came around the bend in a beetle. The car pulled up in the center, obscuring Leo from her sight.

"Uh, this would be Ginger," He told her, peeking over the top of the car, unable to help the smile that graced his lips. Kendrix resisted a grin of her own at bouncy behavior of Leo, Ginger gave the car horn a honk smiled back at him. Pressing her clipboard to her chest, she watched as he raced around the car and hopped into the passenger's seat.

"Got here on time, just like I promised," Ginger leaned forward a little, her gaze focused on Kendrix with a look of concern. "Hello. Is she your friend?" Leo was at a momentary loss for words, too busy struggling with his seat belt to come up with a proper answer. Kendrix remained amicable, offering the girl a small wave of the hand. "Yes, I am definitely Leo's friend. One of them, anyway," Kendrix assured her as she started back toward the door. Leo looked up too late to offer his date an explanation and his friend a proper introduction, ignorant of what occurred Kendrix turned on one heel and waved again. "Good luck with your date, Leo," She told him before the doors closed in front of her, barely missing the tip of her nose.


	19. Strangelove

**Title:** Strangelove

**Prompt: "Green-Eyed Monster"**

**Series: Book Two**

**Timeline:** Galaxy (Post-"A Red Romance")

* * *

It was one of those rare moments Kendrix was glad she never indulged in gossip and pillow talk.

It was one of those moments that the one girlfriend she had in Maya saw no problem in Leo's apparent disinterest in perusing her romantically.

It was also one of those rare moments she wished Mike didn't unconsciously adopt the role of Mr. Sensitive. It wasn't his fault, the man by his very nature was compassionate and attentive to the people around him. It was what made him a leader. But if she had to get another look of pity from him because his little brother was dating Ginger, she would toss the galaxy book at him.

The Green-Eyed Monster was never a problem she had to deal with in regards to Leo; sure enough, to outsiders their friendship might seem like the tried and true "something more", what with how Leo tended to never once question his closeness with the people he considered friends, but it wasn't like that.

She was just too busy to even consider the idea of a romantic relationship with Leo Corbett.

It just wasn't like that.


	20. It's all in how you look at it

**Title:** It's all in how you at it

**Prompt: "Perception"**

**Series: Book Two**

**Timeline:** N/A

* * *

There was something to be said about the weather on Mirinoi. The winters were short, the fall and spring fell somewhere in the middle with a chilly climate and the summers were unforgivably hot. The indigenous could handle it, it was all they knew. But for the inexperienced colonists, their perception of the weather was less than kindly and it took more than a little while to get used to.

Damon retreated into his garage, the air conditioner on full blast, Karone often joining him.

Mike, Kai and Kendrix carried portable fans with them when on the go. Maya spent most of her days teaching Leo how to beat the heat in specific areas of the rivers and shade, or napping underneath the Galactabeasts.

The only problem with that, however, was that the Lion Galactabeast thrived off heat, which left Leo more than a little overheated.

But he could handle it, right?

Since becoming a Power Ranger, Leo learned to take hardships a little more in stride. Since Kendrix's return from the presumed realm of the dead, Leo found there was little he could complain about, feeling he'd gotten everything taken from him back. He could deal with a little heat exhaustion and dehydration that left him bedridden if it meant she'd visit frequently, though he later realized he'd have to endure her and Mike's admonishment for never minding his water intake around his zord.


End file.
